Leonardo/ISAST Laser talk series at Aalborg University in Denmark
Leonardo/ISAST Laser talk series at Aalborg University in Denmark
Leonardo/ISAST Laser
Talks
Since 1968, Leonardo has served as a society and network that convene, research, collaborate, and disseminate best practices at the nexus of arts, science, and technology worldwide.
The Leonardo/ISAST LASERs are a program of international gatherings that bring artists, scientists, humanists, and technologists together for informal presentations, performances and conversations with the wider public. The mission of the LASERs is to encourage contribution to the cultural environment of a region by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and opportunities for community building to over 40 cities around the world.
Since 2022, Aalborg University has been a Leonardo/ISAST Lasers host institution, the first and, so far, the only LASER host institution in Scandinavia. The aim is to host LASER events that highlight transdisciplinary work in-between art, technology, science, culture, and society.
Mission
The mission of the LASERs is to provide the general public with a snapshot of the cultural environment of a region and to foster interdisciplinary networking.
Each evening, in a casual academic setting, free of charge and open to the public, presents up to four artists, scientists, philosophers, historians, inventors and scholars who are working on paradigm shifts. Each evening also allows the audience to socialize and encourages people in the audience to briefly introduce their work.
Leonardo/ISAST LASER series organisation at Aalborg University
Guidelines for LASER series
If you are interested in running a LASER series at your university, please take a look at the guidelines below and then fill out the form.
- The venue is an academic setting, or at least in a neutral art/science setting that has some academic prestige/credibility
Free and open to the public. They serve the community not the specialists. - Recurring events: monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly
Three or four presenters each evening, from different disciplines on different topics, ideally at least one artist and one scientist each evening - No theme (in a blatant case of apophenia, the audience frequently finds a theme where there was meant to be no theme).
- The audience is invited to announce projects, events, etc
- Gender balanced
- Each university takes care of its finances (honoraria or not, refreshments or not, room reservations, etc)
- LASER speakers are picked by recommendation, not by application.
- We encourage streaming and making public videos of the talks
- We encourage broadcasting the talks online
- We encourage audience participation
Note: Speakers consistently prefer longer talks, themes, panels. The audience consistently prefers shorter talks, no theme, no panel. Events that serve the specialists should perhaps more appropriately called "Leonardo salons" than LASERs. Themed events should more appropriately be called "Leonardo symposium". LASERs are NOT trying to replace existing salons, conferences, symposia, etc.